This is not a blog to debate whether or not survivors of child sexual abuse within the family should or shouldn't cut off all contact with their families. It’s a post to acknowledge that neither decision is an easy one. Both come with challenges - mainly a huge amount of sadness or grief - and distressing memories that feel particularly unfair during times like Christmas.

I died when I was nine. I lay on a bed and I closed my eyes. And I wished for my mother. And died . It didn’t hurt to die like it hurt to live. It was a relief.

What began months ago with a passionate conversation after an event with a fellow panelist, grew into a kitchen-table meetup in Rochdale. This week we convened in Bloomsbury with practitioner allies. Tea, shortbread, and shared experience...

By Sophie Olson Content: Living with the impacts of sexual violence. It has references to high profile cases. Please take care when...

"Standing in front of professionals responsible for creating and delivering programmes to aid prevention of child sexual abuse felt like stepping into the central cog of a machine that has been in the background in my own life for as long as I can remember. NSPCC is a name that symbolised hope during the darkest times. "

So now I am standing, high up on the hill and as I survey the beautiful town and the sparkling lights before me, I see that my future didn’t go anywhere, I just had to go on a long detour because the first path was blocked. I stopped and picked up a few hitchhikers along the way and they walk beside me as I continue this journey. They are called empathy, belief, strength and determination.